Alpinestars GP Tech Gloves

Alpinestars GP Tech Gloves Review

If you're looking for a moderately priced pair of gloves, stop reading.

At $235.00 list, these top-of-the-line Alpinestars GP Tech gloves are
anything but cheap.

They're in the same category as the Held Galaxy and Krypton gloves or
the Kushitani Hyper Racing and GPR IV gloves -- all of which retail for
over $200.00.

But if you're able and willing to fork out a couple of C-notes for a
pair of motorcycle gloves, the Alpinestars GP Techs are -- like the Held
and Kushitani gloves -- serious, top shelf bling.

So what do you get for
$200?

For starters, you get the benefit of Alpinestars relationships with many
top MotoGP and World Superbike riders.

These include stars such as the former AMA Superbike champion Nicky Hayden,
former 500cc world champion Kenny Roberts, Jr., and former World Superbike
champions Troy Bayliss and Troy Corser, as well as AMA stars Miguel Duhamel
and the brothers Bostrom.

Alpinestars GP Tech Gloves

Alpinestars claims that the GP Tech gloves were developed with professional
GP racers in mind, and this lineup of racers proves the point.

What you notice right away about the GP Tech gloves are the finger, knuckle,
and wrist protection.

A few years ago, carbon fiber was the rage for providing "hard"
protection on both gloves and boots. Besides being functional, the carbon
fiber was cool looking.

Alpinestars still uses carbon fiber on the finger and knuckle sliders
on its other gloves (such as the GP Plus), but the GP Tech (as well as the
GP Pro) use injected molded thermoplastic, which, according to Alpinestars,
has superior impact and abrasion resistance.

If you own a pair of Alpinestars Supertech or S-MX Plus boots (as I do),
the thermoplastic protection on the GP Tech gloves matches the shin and
heel/ankle protection and toe sliders on the boots, which is a plus for
owners who are fashion conscious about their riding apparel.

But what really sets the GP Tech apart from other motorcycle gloves is
the wrist gauntlet.

Instead of leather -- as you'd find in other gloves
(even the Held and Kushitani), Alpinestars uses the same thermoplastic found
in the finger and knuckle sliders.

It looks pretty trick and provides an added level of protection for the
wrist.

Another unique feature of the GP Tech gloves is that the third and fourth
fingers are connected, which is supposed to help prevent "finger roll"
in a crash.

Finger roll is when a finger is rotated beyond the breaking point, and
the pinky finger is especially prone to this in a crash, caused either by
the slide or if the hand gets caught under the tumbling body.

In any case, it's nice to know that the gloves have this feature and
it sure makes it easy to give the Vulcan "live long and prosper"
hand sign!

The construction of the GP Tech glove is a combination of leather and
stretch Kevlar, which provides a combination of both protection and flexibility.

The palm is made from kangaroo leather, which is claimed to have greater
tensile strength and abrasion resistance than cowhide leather.

Kangaroo leather is also about 50% lighter than cowhide.

That probably
doesn't make too much difference in a pair of gloves, but it's one of the
reasons many manufacturers (including Alpinestars) offer suits made with
Kangaroo leather.

The base of the palm also has a series of rubber-like nubbie thingies
(sorry for using such a technical term) that presumably provide yet another
layer of impact/abrasion protection.

Pittards leather is used to reinforce critical areas -- such as between
the thumb and forefinger and the outside of the pinkie finger.

A final feature of the GP Tech glove is for those of us who ride during
hot summers -- the cuff and finger sidewalls are perforated to help air
flow and keep your hands a few degrees cooler.

Not surprisingly, the GP Tech gloves fit like ... well ... a glove. Like
a lot of other gloves, they have dual wrist closures so you can make them
comfortably snug.

And the combination of leather and stretch Kevlar makes for a glove that
isn't overly stiff.

I found the GP Techs to be comfortable out of the box. I've yet to take
them out on a really long ride, but I have no complaints after my first
short ride with them.

A note about sizing. I wear a size small glove and that's the size that
fits me in the GP Tech. But other people have reported sizing "issues"
with these gloves.

A friend of mine who runs a web-based motorcycle clothing and accessories
business told me he had problems fitting at least one customer.

The GP Tech
in the customer's normal size was too tight. The hand fit of the next size
larger was correct, but the fingers were too long.

Ultimately, the retailer and the customer gave up on the GP Tech because
they couldn't find a size that fit correctly (relatively important when
spending $235.00 on a pair of motorcycle gloves!).

At least one web retailer that I found (in the UK) advises its customers
to purchase a size larger than usual because the GP Tech gloves fit tight.
I bought mine on the web and initially purchased a pair in size medium based
on a combination of advice from my friend, what I'd read on the web, and
discussing the issue with one of the staff at the retailer.

The mediums felt OK in terms of hand fit, but the fingers were definitely
on the longish side. So I talked to another staff person at the retailer
who actually wears the GP Tech gloves on a regular basis.

He said that his experience was that they fit tight initially but break
in relatively quickly (which was actually my experience with my Alpinestars
S-MX boots). So I exchanged the mediums for smalls and am 100% happy with
the fit (and they didn't seem to require much break-in).

If you're planning to buy a pair of GP Tech gloves, you need to be aware
of this potential sizing issue.

The best option is to find a local Alpinestars
dealer (I didn't really have that option readily available) and try the
gloves on before you buy them.

If that's not an option, then make sure the retailer will exchange them
for a different size and (important) ultimately allow a complete return/refund
if you can't get them to fit just right.

Don't forget that if you're going
to spend $200-plus on a pair of gloves, they better fit perfectly.

I'd also recommend buying from a dealer (local or otherwise) who has
actual experience fitting a variety of customers with the GP Tech specifically
so that they're speaking from a personal knowledge base.

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Conclusion

Clearly, the Alpinestars GP Tech gloves aren't for everyone. They definitely
scream "racing" and are probably better suited to the dedicated
sportbike and track rider who has deep pockets (or doesn't mind subsisting
on a diet of Ramen noodles). For sure the GP Techs would probably not be
the first choice for cruisers, commuters, or touring riders.

And I can tell you that from
personal experience. I've had one street crash (with a deer) and two get-offs
at the track (both lowsides) and my AGV and Fieldsheer gloves that cost
less than half the price of the GP Techs did the job of protecting my hands
and fingers from serious injury just fine.

But if you must have the bling, then the Alpinestars GP Tech gloves are
definitely it.

And if you're like me, i.e., the owner of an Alpinestars
TLD (the Noriyuki Haga race replica), suit and a pair of Alpinestars S-MX
boots, you can rationalize the GP Tech gloves as being absolutely necessary
to go the full Monty and complete the "look".

But tell your wife you needed them because you deserve the same crash
protection as your GP and WSB heroes!